Misunderstanding
by Shadow's Tears
Summary: She loved one and only one. But when someone else mistook her innocent, friendly care for something deeper, it resulted in drastic consequences. The last chapter is up.
1. Chapter 1

_**well, i have no idea what made me write this, it was kind of running around in my head from the past few weeks, so i finally decided to let it out...i'm not expecting this to become popular, readers, feel free to flame.**_

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The red haired woman gasped in pain as the strong, male hand gripped the hair at her nape with enough force to pull out a few silken strands. With brutal movements he shoved her onto the floor.

Her lip split and she couldn't see through her left eye, as it had swollen shut. A bruise was on her cheek.

"No…" Kahoko pleaded with the tall muscled figure that was slowly walking towards her with menacing movements.

"Don't say anything more Hino, you bitch."

The man knelt on top of her.

"You were supposed to be mine, you rutting slut!" hissed Ryotaro, his voice as harsh as nails being scraped against steel.

"Tsuchiura kun", Kahoko's voice was no more than a whisper. She was terrified about what would happen next.

"Why did you cheat me, and run off with that bastard, Tsukimori?"

"I didn't cheat you; I never liked you to being with!"

"Don't lie to me you whore. It won't get you anywhere. And it won't stop me from finally having what has been denied to me from two years."

His hands roughly grabbed the hem of her blouse and he pulled it up with force. Kahoko screamed, and attempted to pull it down, but Ryotaro gave her a forceful slap to her other cheek, before raising her arms above her head and firmly grabbing both her wrists, preventing her from any effective movements.

He jerked up her bra with one hand, exposing her breasts. Kahoko could feel his breath on them, and she wriggled in panic and fear, but each effort was in vain. Ryotaro covered them with his mouth and began to roughly suckle them.

Kahoko was screaming desperately for help, but she knew no one was around, and anyone who heard her would come in too late. She again wriggled and struggled, only to have Ryotaro pin her more fimly against the ground with his weight.

"Don't bother Hino; I'm not letting you go."

With equal crudity and roughness, he pulled down her slacks and thrust two fingers into her sex.

Kahoko, unready for the rough treatment, screamed in agony as his fingers probed deep inside her.

He suddenly drew out, and Kahoko breathed deeply, hoping God had sent a miracle. He hadn't.

When she managed to open her good eye, the sight she saw left her terrified, and forced her into a skin-numbing silence.

Ryotaro was kneeling over her, his manhood hard, and positioned at the entrance of her sex.

"No…please…don't…"

With no mercy, he forced his member into her, rubbing roughly against her unaroused softness. She screamed, over and over again, tears of humiliation and pain streaking down her cheeks.

She suddenly felt warm liquid pool between her legs, and knew the deed was done.

With a satisfied look, Ryotaro got off her, zipped up his pants and walked away. She heard a car start and roll away. She closed her eyes, and continued to let the tears flow.

"Len…" she whispered brokenly into the darkness.

"Please don't worry…I'll be home soon."

With a huge effort, she got up, stumbled over to her car, and started it.

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**_reviews would be good, if you feeel like leaving them_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**alll right, well i managed to finally realize why i wrote a story like this. most of my stories are all light and sweet, and i found myself getting bored with them...i wanted to create something completely opposite to what i usually write, so here's the result.**_

**_ahem...thank you to the few people who reviewed. i know this will not gain much popularity, knowing the number of Tsuchiura fans there are_**

**_reviews are welcome, and so are flames._**

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Tsukimori Len was worried. In the two years that he and Kahoko had been married, she had never once been late in returning home from work. He had called her office, only to be told that she had left in the lunch break and hadn't returned after that. Her cell phone was ringing, but not being picked. Frowning, he crossed his arms and leaned against the support beam of the porch, wondering what could have happened to her.

He almost sighed in relief when he saw her car pull into the driveway. But the moment she stepped out, he knew something was wrong. Kahoko stumbled out of the driver's seat and practically fell onto the pavement. Len quickly sprinted up to her.

"Kahoko? What's wrong?"

Her eyes showed so much distress, and momentarily rendered him speechless. He slowly drew her against him.

"How did you get these bruises? And where had you been all this time?"

Len's touch was soft, and familiar. Kahoko almost screamed in the relief of knowing it was his touch on her skin and not anyone else's. Unable to put what had happened to her in words, she let out a few sobs and buried the un-bruised side of her face into her husband's shoulder.

Len softly stroked her back, trying to calm her down and stabilize her into a state where she could speak and tell him what happened. He had been shocked numb when he saw the wounds on her face. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and she had a bruise blooming on her cheek.

"Who did this to you Kaho? Come on, tell me."

Kahoko managed to gulp in a few steadying breaths, then, in a trembling voice, she managed to stutter, "He…he…"

"He? Who did this to you?"

Kahoko took one a long breath, before saying in a suffocated voice, "Tsuchiura kun raped me."

Len's hand stopped in mid-stroke down her back. When the words finally made their impact, he slowly drew Kahoko away from him to look at her face.

"That _bastard_ did _what _to you?" his voice was quiet, but under it, Kahoko could hear poisonous venom dripping with each syllable.

Len softened his voice and looked at his beloved wife's face. She looked so woebegone, and her spirit had been more than crushed. She looked like a butterfly that had its wings clipped.

"Kami sama Kaho! That fucking ass! I'll kill the bloody bastard, I swear I will!"

Feeling too drained to reply, Kahoko felt tears pricking her eyes, and she gripped the blue-haired man's shirt before letting her tears fall again.

She couldn't help it. The shame, the humiliation!

When she continued to cry, Len scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the sitting room. After gently settling her into the sofa, he quickly went into the bathroom, and after rummaging through the medicine cabinet, picked up a tube of anti-inflammatory cream, some antiseptic, and a few bandages; she had a number of cuts on her arms and wrists. He made a quick detour into the kitchen to fill a small plastic bag with a few ice cubes before returning to Kahoko.

After her cuts had been bandaged and the ice pack had been carefully adjusted onto her swollen eye, Len softly drew her near him. Her head came onto his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, softly gripping her hand.

"We can go to the hospital if you want and get a physical examination done."

"No, it's all right, there's no need for that."

"So, what happened?"

It was all Len could do to prevent himself from taking a gun and hunting down that hypersexual gigolo Tsuchiura and shooting him into oblivion.

Kahoko sighed softly, and recollected the events that had taken place.

**Earlier that afternoon:**

The day had started out normally enough. She had walked into the office, exchanged good-mornings with everyone and gotten on with her work. During lunch break, she had a surprise visitor; Tsuchiura Ryotaro.

Kahoko had never stopped being friends with him, simply for the fact that she thought it was understood that she had feelings only for Tsukimori. Ever since Len had finally gathered the guts to confess his feelings for her, and then ask her to marry him two years ago, she had always loved Len and only Len.

She had long since assumed that Ryotaro knew that, and had continued her contact with him. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know the extent to which Tsuchiura had mistaken her words and actions.

His reason for visiting had been simple; he had managed to acquire a small building that he was planning on renovating into his music studio, where he could do his own recording and compositions. He had wanted her opinion about it, so he had dropped by.

Kahoko had never suspected Tsuchiura of having vile thoughts, so she had readily agreed, and left during her lunch break to see the location. After following him for almost an hour in her car, he had stopped in front of a rather isolated house, with shattered windows and a rather weak door that could easily be pulled off its hinges if one tried hard enough.

As she walked through the building with him, he had explained which part of it he wanted to become what. He had kept a friendly arm around her shoulders the whole time. But as they walked into a slightly smaller room on the ground floor, his hand had crept down from her shoulder onto her breast. Kahoko had quickly stepped away from him, not sure if it had been done intentionally, or by accident. When Tsuchiura didn't bring it up, she left it alone.

After a few more sentences, he had brought up the subject of her marriage.

Surprised, Kahoko had told him how happy she was with Tsukimori. The response had seemed to frustrate the pianist, and before she had realized what had happened, he had given her a blinding punch to her left eye. Then came the physical abuse from the sharp slaps of his hands. He had shoved her onto the floor, and ravaged her, all the while shouting how she should have been his, and that this was her punishment for promising herself to him, but giving herself up to another.

**End of flashback**

By the time Kahoko finished her re-telling, she realized Len had shifted her off the sofa, and had taken her onto his lap. His hands were smoothing her hair, and softly whispering reassurances to her.

"How terrified you must have been, love", he whispered softly.

In spite of his calm demeanor, Len felt nausea claw viciously up his throat at the thought of Tsuchiura misusing Kahoko for his own cheap purposes.

_Belonged to him, yeah right. The fucking bastard will have hell to pay. I'll castrate him before shooting him._

"Len?"

He quickly looked down at the woman on his lap.

"Yes?"

"I'm so tired Len, and…I'm in pain. After Tsuchiura…you know, I've been having a lot of pain and discomfort…_there."_

Len understood what she meant. The rough way Tsuchiura had handled her would have definitely caused some stress on her delicate feminine parts.

"I'll get you a pain-killer, and we'll put you to bed for the night, ok?"

Kahoko nodded, and he carefully carried her up the stairs and settled her down onto the large bed. He briefly left to get a glass of water and a few pain-killers.

After she had swallowed them, he stroked her hair.

"Get some sleep, ok? We'll discuss how to handle this issue tomorrow."

"Please come to bed Len" Kahoko whispered.

"I'm scared to sleep alone."

Len's heart constricted.

"I will come soon. Just let me lock up. You try to fall asleep, ok love?"

Kahoko's eyes slowly fluttered closed.

After another half an hour, Len quietly joined her, and carefully drew her against his chest.

As he heard her soft breathing, he vowed he wouldn't die unless he took Tsuchiura down with him.


	3. Chapter 3

_**There will be one more chapter, and then it's the end. **_

**_Thank you to all the readers who have read this, and major thanks to those who reviewed, 'cause honestly, I wasn't expecting reviews for this at all, I was actually preparing myself for a ton of PM's containing words of hate from all the Ryo fans out there._**

**_Continue ahead with the story._**

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He despised himself. No words could possibly describe the atrocity of his actions. There was absolutely no way that he could justify his sin. He hated his guts, the appearance of his face in the mirror.

He raised his eyes to meet the ones that were reflected in the mirror. They were filled with anguish. Were those eyes the same ones that had crudely seen the delicate body of an innocent angel?

He had never meant to go that extreme. He had loved her so deeply, and he had never meant to deflower her in this manner. His reason for living, his reason why he had kept life moving even after her marriage to Tsukimori, was just for the sake of knowing he could still see and talk to her. Never had he imagined that his jealousy would get the better of him, and urge him to do this heinous, despicable act.

He had already decided his next step. It was already taking its course.

_This is the flower, blooming from my seed of sin._

A bottle of poison was in his fist. As his nerves started to lose their control over his extremities, the bottle was released from his hand and shattered onto the floor. In his other pale fist was a note, his letter of forgiveness.

His light was waiting for him, the light he had adultered. But it was still shining, soft and pure. Tsuchiura's vision was almost gone, but the little light that had warmed him since high school continued to fill his vision.

She was so merciful. Even though he least deserved her forgiveness, she would forgive him anyway.

_How incredibly divine you must be, to have such a broad heart and such compassionate understanding._

"I'm…sorry…Kahoko."

His last word was a strangled whisper as the poison constricted his windpipe. As his eyes finally lost their ability to keep up with the world, he slumped onto the floor in front of the mirror.

The vision of her pretty face was still with him, even though he was gone.

|x.x.X.X.x.x|

A blue sedan slowly crept into the driveway of a house that looked like a mansion. Len got out and shut the door. He had just returned from the police station. After lodging a complaint about yesterday's rape, he had been informed that the moment Tsuchiura had been caught it was Len they would contact first.

He walked into the house and upstairs to the bedroom. He had considered waking up Kahoko before leaving, but she had looked so exhausted and he decided that a little more sleep wouldn't hurt her. Furthermore, he didn't think she could face the police and their questions when her mind was in such a delicate frame.

He had left a note on her pillow, explaining where he had gone in case she woke up and panicked when she found him gone. But judging from the fact that the note was still in it's original position, he concluded that she hadn't woken up at all in the one and a half hours that he had been gone.

Tenderly, he shifted a couple of red locks away from her face. More than once in the middle of the night, he had been woken up by the sound of whimpering. Each time a fit started, he had patted her head until the sounds ceased and her breathing became even.

Deciding to let her sleep until she chose to wake up, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He was pathetic when it came to cooking, but in the last two years, Kahoko had patiently taught him a few simple recipes so that he could learn to feed himself in case the situation had ever called for it.

After collecting a couple of eggs from the fridge, Len set a skillet onto the stove and broke one open before spreading out the yolk for an omelet.

Len had just finished the task of making a sixth omelet when the doorbell rang. Frowning, he shut off the stove to see who had arrived. It was too early in the morning for any acquaintances to make an appearance.

He opened the door, and was surprised to see Inspector Shin, who he had spoken to while lodging the complaint only an hour ago.

"May I come in, Tsukimori san?" he enquired, his voice sounding grim.

"Of course."

Len allowed Shin to come inside. After seating himself on the sofa, Shin sighed, before fixing a look on Len.

"What is the reason for your visit, Shin san?" enquired the violinist.

"I'm here on a very unexpected and tragic note, Tsukimori san."

"What has happened?"

"I'm here to inform you of the death of Tsuchiura Ryotaro."

Len felt his skin grow cold. He had despised Tsuchiura, but…he was dead?

"How did it happen?"

"He committed suicide, by drinking a considerable amount of a very lethal poison. He was already gone when we went to investigate your complaint."

Len merely nodded, unable to believe the drastic change of events that had taken place. When he didn't say anything, Shin spoke.

"He left this for you, and your spouse."

Shin put a hand inside his uniform pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper that had small droplets of blood on it. Feeling squeamish at the sight of the red stains, Len extended his arm and gingerly took the paper.

'_To the light of my life, I never meant to commit the despicable act I did yesterday. You never deserved such treatment. I'm sorry for the words I said, and for the physical abuse I put you through. If Tsukimori's reading this, I congratulate you on being te better man. She's your angel now, and please keep her safe. I don't deserve any mercy or forgiveness. Please consider my last action as a way of repaying for my sin.'_

_-Tsuchiura_

His eyes scanned the words, before he swallowed and looked up. Shin's eyes were clouded with grim pity.

"I think you can cancel the complaint you booked", he said softly, trying to be empathetic to the other man's position.

Len vaguely nodded his head, still unable to believe what had happened.

"Don't worry too much about it. What's done is done."

Shin made the statement in a very calm, professional manner, the way that all police officers were taught to speak after something tragic had happened.

"I just came by to inform you. I'll take my leave now."

He got up. Len looked up at him.

"All right then, Shin san. Thank you for dropping by."

After he had shut the door, Len leaned against it and ran a hand through his hair.

The bastard had committed suicide. He had actually regretted what he had done. Until now, Len had forced himself to believe that he had always been jealous, of his fortune. But his final act, killing himself to justify his guilt, was something he had never expected.

He didn't know what he felt. But underneath it all, wasn't scorn, or anger. Surprisingly, he felt a negligible stab of pity for the man he had always hated.

"Len?" a voice called softly from the stairs.

Kahoko slowly made her way down.

"Kaho, you shouldn't be walking around just yet if you're still feeling pain.

She shook her head, her hair dancing around her pale face.

"I'm feeling all right now. Who had come just now?"

Len bit his lip, wondering if she could handle the news when she was so emotionally drained.

Kahoko walked up to him and put her hands on his arm.

"Len? Who had come just now? Tell me please."

With a sigh, Len led her over to the sofa and recollected the morning's events. When he mentioned Tsuhiura's death, her hands clamped over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror.

"He left this for us." Len handed the bloody note to Kahoko.

She read it once, twice, thrice. Her eyes filled and she looked at her husband.

"He…he…"

Len hugged her tightly, praying her nightmare would end today.

"I know Kahoko. I know."

He softly stroked her back as she released her burden of tears onto his shoulder.

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_**Reviews? Anyone?**_

**_*gives pleading hopeful look*_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Last chapter. Thanks to all those who have read, and those who reviewed, I'm grateful for your views, feedback and opinions._****

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****3 months later…**

Kahoko stared in disbelief at the pregnancy detector in her hand. According to the color chart, it was positive. No, it couldn't be, there was no possibility of it happening.

With a despairing moan, she sat back down onto the toilet, covering her eyes with her palms. Len had been using protection from the past three months whenever he made love to her. There was no chance of her conceiving, unless the life in her womb was…

Kahoko felt nausea well up in her throat that had nothing to do with morning sickness. It wasn't Len's child. The only other probability was the one she had feared the most.

But, then again, she thought to herself, these methods go wrong at times right? They weren't absolute proof of anything. She needed professional help. She could confirm who the father was in just a few days. With resolve, she got up and quickly discarded the pregnancy detector into a plastic bag. A knock on the door caused her to jump.

"Kaho? If you're finished can I come in?"

She hastened to open the door. Len stood in the doorway, his hair tousled from sleep. His eyes rested on the plastic bag in her hand.

"That time of the month?" he asked her.

It was far from it, ironically it was almost the opposite, but she managed a weak smile and nodded. Len stepped forward and kissed the top of head.

"I'll pick up chocolate while coming home from work."

Len knew too well of his wife's craving for chocolates during this particular time and decided assuring her before she leashed her tantrum on him was a better way to start the morning. She looked rather tired though, he thought as he observed the drained quality in her eyes.

"Well, I'd better get ready for work", she said before walking out. There was something wrong. She hadn't even returned his kiss like how she usually did. With a concerned look Len watched her fiddle around inside the closet to select her clothes for work.

A woman's hormones were just something one could never understand unless they were female, he thought to himself before stepping inside the bathroom.

|x.x.X.X.x.x|

**One week later…**

"I'm sorry Mrs. Tsukimori there's no mistake you are most definitely pregnant. And the baby isn't your husband's, the DNA sequences don't match."

Dr. Kimura handed Kahoko the result of her urine report. At the end of the paper, the words 'pregnancy confirmed' were typed in bold.

With a moan, Kahoko covered her face with her hands, feeling tears well up in her eyes. How on earth was she supposed to tell Len? Could she be so heartless to abort the life that was innocently depending on the protection of her womb for its existence? She could never live with herself knowing she had taken away an innocent being whose existence was through no fault of it's own.

"May I ask how you conceived this child then?"

Dr. Kimura cut through the untidy swirl of emotions inside Kahoko's head.

Kahoko let out a sigh that was ripe with self pity, before answering.

"Actually, about three months ago, I was raped by a man who had been my friend for a very long time. But I can't confront him now because the day after, he committed suicide ."

Feeling very empathetic towards the young, beautiful red haired woman, Dr. Kimura placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want an abortion?"

Kahoko's eyes watered at the very idea. The child in her womb was conceived through no fault of its own. It was unaware of the circumstances through which it was formed, and blissfully free from the burden of a harsh world.

"I don't know…the idea of killing it…"

"The term is abortion", Dr. Kimura amended her words.

"It still doesn't change the fact that you're trying to take away a life, does it? No matter how you phrase it."

"No, I suppose it doesn't" said Dr. Kimura softly.

"I have to speak with my husband. I can't take a decision like this alone."

"Do what you think is best. Don't take a rushed decision. Think it all out before you come back here to see me, got it? And try not to worry. It's upsetting for the baby as well as you."

"All right. Thank you very much."

On that note, Kahoko stuffed the pregnancy report in her purse and walked out of the doctor's office.

|x.x.X.X.x.x|

Len retuned from work to find Kahoko lying down on the couch with her arms over her head.

"Kahoko?"

At the sound of his voice, she jumped, and hastened to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy, you've been acting jittery all day. What's up?"

"Len, please sit down."

The tone of her voice was soft and filled with uncertainty. Len obeyed and sat down on the couch next to her.

"What is it?"

She had no idea how to continue. How was she supposed to tell him? That she was bearing life inside her and it wasn't his? She bit her tongue, before trying to work her way into the topic.

"Len, how do feel about the idea of having children?"

"Children? How come suddenly?"

"Just answer the question Len, please and be very honest."

"Is this what you were feeling so irked about? You want children? Well, we've been married for two years now, our careers are stable. I suppose having a child now is a reasonable idea. I wouldn't mind."

Kahoko took a deep breath and voiced the words that had been gnawing at her since morning.

"I'm pregnant."

Len didn't speak for five full seconds. Then with a disbelieving look, his eyes wandered to her abdomen. Then his expression became joyful as he raised a hand and placed it on her stomach.

"Are you? But…how…? I always used…Kahoko, this is amazing!"

His words did nothing more than increase her despair. Noticing this, Len withdrew his hand and softly stroked her cheek.

"What's wrong? You don't seem too happy."

"Len…" she whispered, "The child isn't yours."

He felt his heart constrict and skip a beat. He hadn't heard correctly, there was no way that the child she was carrying wasn't his.

"What?"

"It's not yours, Len. It's Tsuchiura's."

When Len just stared blankly at her, she continued.

"I went to see Dr Kimura today. I had applied for a DNA test about a week ago. It's not yours."

Len got off the sofa running a hand through his hair and began to pace the living room.

"Len, please, don't get upset. I had to tell you at some point. I didn't know what else to do."

She was about to shatter again, like how she did after hearing about Tsuchiura's death. Len stopped pacing and looked at her. She looked so small, and delicate, the same way that the baby in her womb was at present.

It wasn't her fault. How could he stay upset?

He sat back down next to her.

"What are you planning on doing now?" he asked her quietly.

"I don't know Len, that's why I wanted to ask you. Dr. Kimura suggested an abortion. But…I couldn't stand the idea of…of…"

"Killing it?" Len finished for her, knowing fully well how her opinions on this topic were.

"Yes Len. It has done no fault and has no idea what is going on. How could I heartlessly abort it and be happy with my decision?"

"You wouldn't be Kaho", Len gently drew her into his arms, trying to calm her down.

"Kahoko, whatever decision you take about this baby, I wont stop you."

Kahoko felt tears in her eyes and drew away to look at his face.

"But…will you be okay?"

"I love you Kahoko, and a bit of you will be passed onto that baby as well, so how can I not love it? If you want to continue the pregnancy, I won't say anything. I don't like the idea of killing something innocent either."

He embraced her fully now, trying to pass on his strength to her.

"I really don't mind Kahoko."

"Len…" she whispered, gripping his shirt.

"Thank you so much…for understanding…"

**6 months later…**

Len looked down at the small face that hosted large amber eyes and red hair. It was impossible to not feel paternal towards it after seeing his Kahoko during the duration of the nine month gestation period. This child was going to get everything it needed to grow into a perfect adult.

He walked back near the hospital bed and handed the infant to Kahoko, who was exhausted from the delivery, but was still managing to smile.

"Cute little guy" Len muttered, running a finger over his small son's fist.

"He needs a name."

"Ryu", Len said immediately.

He had been thinking about this from the moment she had told him about her pregnancy, and had long ago decided that it was a perfect name. He couldn't bring himself to hate the man whose son was now resting in his wife's arms. He had never meant to cause damage, in spite of things.

When Kahoko stared at him in absolute puzzlement and uncertainty, he added, "His father was never as cruel or harsh as we thought him to be. In memory, this child shall be named Ryu."

He ran a hand over Kahoko's hair.

She looked up at him, a smile forming on her face.

"In memory, his name shall be Ryu" she repeated Len's words.

Len leaned in to kiss her forehead.

The child, unaware of anything around it, yawned and blinked sleepily before closing it's eyes and falling asleep. In his heart, love had already blossomed for his mother, as pure as the affection his father had for her.

| _**THE END|**_

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**_a/n_**

**_Ryu- Japanese name meaning 'life'. i thought it was close enough to "Ryotaro" but different enough to make an appropriate ending._**

**_all right, i was just experimentng with human psychology here. the human nature, has a tendency to forgive, or make decisions that are usually opposite to one' s expectations if it gets justification for something. len may be feeling poisonous towards Tsuchiura, but at the end, he forgives him because he knew he was Kahoko's true-hearted companion._**

**_Reviews? come on, it's the last chapter._**


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